Tension device for barbed-wire machines.



Patehtgd July 29", I902. F. -wfimmzluasi M.Mll.-LER. IENsm DEVICE FOR BABBED WIRE MACHINES.

(Application filed Oct. 26, 1901.]

(Np Model.)

aiwe idow THE nonms PEYERS co. PHOTO-UTHO, WASHINGTON. o. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. MACKE AND MATTHEW MILLER, OF KOKOMO, INDIANA.

TENSION DEVICE FOR BARBED-WIRE MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,688, dated July 29, 1902.

Application filed October 26, 1901. Serial No. 80,135. (No model.)

To all 1011,0121, it may concern/.

Beit known thatwe, FREDERICK W. MAoKE and MATTHEW MILLER, citizens of the United States, residing at Kokomo, in the county of Howard and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tension Devices for Barb-Wire Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for making and reeling barb-wire, and more particularly to an improved tension device for such machines. Heretofore in machines of this character various forms of hand-operated tension devices have been employed; but all such devices necessitate the constant attention of the operator.

The object of this invention therefore is to provide an automatic tension device which will automatically take up any slack which may occur in the wire during the operation of the machine; and with this object in view the invention consists inthe peculiar construction of the various parts and in their novel combination or arrangement, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the application of our invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating our invention, the parts being connected with each other but separated from the machine to more clearly illustrate the details of construction. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section. Fig. 4: is a detail illustrating the manner of connecting the spring-loop to the adjustable bolt.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the main frame, in which is located the combined reeling and twisting mechanism B, the rear shaft 0 of the twisting'yoke being arranged in a bushing D, whichis located between two brake-blocks E, carried by a spring-loop F, one end of said loop being pivotally connected to the casting-piece F, secured to the main frame, while the other end has an adjustable rod G attached thereto, the hooked end G of said rod being connected to an elbow-lever I-I, pivoted at H, the opposite end of said lever having a chain I connected thereto, said chain passing under a guide-pulley Kand attached to an upright lever L, pivoted to the casting L, the upper end of said lever L carrying the idler-wheel M, over which the wire N passes prior to'being twisted and wound. A stout coil-spring O is attached to the lever L adjacent to its upper end, the opposite end of said spring being adj ustably connected to the main frame, as most clearly shown in Fig. 1.

P indicates a cam-pressing lever mounted upon a suitable standard P, adjacent to the lever L, the purpose of which will appear hereinafter.

Inoperation the wire is fed to a combined twisting and reeling mechanism around the idler M, the reeling and twisting mechanism B forming no part of our invention. In case, however, the wire should be fed too rapidly to the twisting and reeling mechanism the slack will occur atthe idler M, and the moment said slack occurs the spring 0 will 0perate to draw the lever L to the left, and in so doing the lever will operate upon the chain I, which in turn will operate the elbow-lever H and cause the rod G to draw the end of the spring-yoke inwardly, and this causes the brake-blocks to bear more tightly upon the bushing surrounding the shaft and will thereby retard the rotary motion of the twister, and said rotary motion being retarded the reeling mechanism will be caused to run at a greater speed proportionally, and thereby take up the additional amount of wire which has been fed to the machine. The lever L will then assume its normal position, and also the remaining parts of the tension device.

Whenever a reel has been filled and it is desired to remove the said reel from the machine, it of course becomes necessary to create a certain slack in the wire, and in order to accomplish this the cam-pressing lever P is thrown upwardly, forcing the cam-shaped head into engagement with the lever L, which is then pressed to the right, permitting the wire to become slack, and the reel can then be removed anda new one inserted and the reeling operation commenced again, the lever P being, of course, thrown down prior to resuming operation.

It will thus be seen that we provide an exceedingly simple and highly efficient tension mechanism for barb-wire machines. I

Having thus fully described our invention, What We claim as new, and desire to secure by- Letters Patent, is-- 1. A tension device of the kind described, comprising a spring yoke carrying brake blocks, a spring-actuated lever carrying an idler at its upper end, and means for connecting the said lever and spring-yoke, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a tension device of the kind described, the combination withalever carrying an idler at its upper end, of a spring connected to the said lever and a cam-pressing lever arranged adjacent to the first mentioned lever and adapted to operate thereon to distend the spring, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a tension device of the kind described, the combination with the spring-yoke carryin g brake-blocks, of the spring-actuated lever carrying idler at its upper end, the chain con- 

